Mythbusters

Mythbusters:

As Long As You Eat Healthy Food, You Can Eat as Much as You Want!

Many people are convinced that if you work out enough, or at all that it allows you to consume whatever you would like. This is not true, the saying that everything in moderation in this case is indeed true. It is important to remember that a calorie is a calorie. Although fruits are good for you they contain a lot of sugar, which is not good. You would be surprised to learn that only 1 cup of fruit should be consumed a day, in the morning preferably to give you your energy for the day.

Limiting your calorie intake is essential in losing weight, being aware of portion size is key, as well as understanding how to balance your calorie intake throughout the day to help avoid feeling deprivation, hunger, and feeling grumpy.

Key concepts that should be grasped when trying to diet or lose weight is that 1 pound equals 3,500 calories. Also that every person is different and there fore requires a different diet plan and calorie intake. Make sure you research your diet and the side effects that it can cause. In addition, remember that you are not working out to eat more, you are working out to be healthy and get fit, so feed your body what it needs, finding that balance between fruit, vegetables, protein, and complex carbs. Don't forget that a portion size is the same size as your fist.

Using these tips can help you get to be the better you that you desire, as well as helping to keep those pounds off for the summer months.

Exercise of the Week

Exercise of the Week

Forward Lunge with a Twist:
This exercise targets the lower body. It will work the quads, glutes, and core, while improving balance as well as your proprioception. For those who are unaware what proprioception is, it is knowing where your body is in space, so this will be enhanced thus helping balance.

Muscles being worked:
Abdominals, glutes, quads, hip flexors, and hamstrings

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart
   


2. Hold a dumbbell or weight of choice in front of you with your elbows at a 90 degree angle(Important: If you had not exercised in a while or lifted weights you should begin this exercise with no weight to focus on proper technique and strength
   


3. Next, step forward with your left foot into a lunge position.



4. Make sure to keep your knees over your toes, this is important to prevent injury. Also make sure to NOT twist your knee.
   


5. From your torso, twist your body to the left, then reach across your left side with arm stretched out.
   


6. Try to focus on contracting your abdominals and control the movement.
   


7. Slowly return your arms to the center and step back from the lunge to an upright position



8. Repeat on the opposite side.

Advanced:

For those who have this exercise down and perfected we found a way to put your lunge with a twist to the challenge.

• Try performing this exercise barefoot. This will engage smaller muscles in your foot and ankle which will help straighten them for stabilization and balance.



• Another variation is that you could turn it into a walking lunge with a twist, stepping 12-15 times, 2 sets.

Eat This, Not That!

Eat This, Not That!

Eat This:

Baja-Battered Fish Tacos
Ingredients:
3/4 cup beer, preferably lager or pilsner
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-1 1/4 pound of Tilapia, or other firm white fish, sliced into 1/2-inch by-2 inch strips
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preparation:
1. Place beer, all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, oregano, mustard, cayenne and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer the batter to a shallow baking dish. Add fish, turning to coat all sides.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer one-third of the bartered fish to the pan, placing each piece into a little oil. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer cooked fish to the plate; keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon oil and half the remaining fish to the pan; cook as directed above, reducing the heat if necessary. Cook the remaining fish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve immediately.

8 servings, about 1 1/2 ounces each.
Per Serving: 120 calories, 6g fat (0g sat, 3g mono), 33mg cholesterol, 4g carbs, 0g fiber, 112mg sodium, 180 mg potassium.

Grill Fillet Mignon with Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
16 cherry tomatoes
10 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed
1 medium zucchini, halved length-wise and sliced into 1- inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into wedges
1 pound fillet Mignon steak, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, cut into 4 pieces

Preparation:
1. Pre-heat grill to high

2. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini and onion to the remaining marinade; toss well to coat. Thread the vegetables onto eight 10-inch skewers. Drizzle the vegetables and steak with the reserved marinade.

3. Grill the steak 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium. Grill the vegetable kebabs, turning frequently, until tender and lightly charred, 8 to 12 minutes total. Remove the vegetables from the skewers and serve with the steak.

Servings: 4
Per-Serving: 291 calories, 17g fat (4g sat, 9g mono), 70mg cholesterol, 10g carbs, 27g protein, 3g fiber, 363 mg sodium, 529mg potassium.



Chipotle and Orange Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons orange-juice concentrate,thawed
1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle peppers in adabo sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons un-sulfured molasses
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill or broiler

2. Whisk together orange-juice concentrate, chipotle pepper, vinegar, molasses and mustard in a small bowl.

3. Lightly oil the grill or broiler rack. Season chicken with salt and grill or broil for 2 minutes. Turn, brush with the glaze and cook for 4 minutes, brushing occasionally with glaze. Turn again, brush with the glaze, and cook until the center is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Serving: 4
Per-Serving: 149 calories, 3g fat (1g sat, 1g mono), 63 mg cholesterol, 7g carbohydrates, 2g added sugars, 23g protein, 0g fiber, 154 mg sodium, 300mg potassium.

Not That:
Pacific Shrimp Tacos
Taco Bell

Serving: 1
Per-Serving: 180 calories, 7g fat (1.5 sat), 21mg cholesterol, 660mg sodium, 21g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 8g protein.

Prime Rib 12 oz and Fresh Seasonal Veggies
Outback steak House

Serving: 1
Per-Serving: 907.6 calories, 12.5g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 74.1g fat (31.4 sat), 45.4g protein. 184mg cholesterol, 1129.1mg sodium.

Chicken Parmigiana
Olive Garden

Serving:1
Per-Serving: 1,090 calories, 49g fat (18g sat fat), 3,380mg sodium, 79g carbs, 27g fiber

Fit Quiz: What do you really know about exercise? (5/31)

Fit Quiz:

1. Why do experts recommend losing no more than 1-2 lbs per week?

a. It isn't possible to lose more than 2 lbs in one week

b. Losing wieght in a slow, steady fashion can help you lose fat while perserving your muscle tissue

c. Losing more than 2 lbs may strain your kidneys and liver function

d. It's too boring to lose more than 2 lbs a week.

2. During strenght training, you might have heard that it is a bad idea to hold your breath. why?

a. Holding your breath druing exertion can cause a rapid increase in blood pressure.

b. Your muscle cells become damaged when they don't receive oxygen during strenght training.

c. It reduces the amount of weight you can lift.

d. It causes a drop in blood sugar.

3. which of the following is true when comparing muscle to fat?

a. Muscle is denser and takes up less space than fat

b. A pound of muscle weight more than a pound of fat

c. A pound of fat weights more than a pound of muscle

d. Fat will become muscle once you being a comprehensive strenght training program

4. Why do experts recommend eating breakfast each day to help maintain weight loss.

a. During sleep, your body expends calories to repair physical damage to the body. These calories need to be replaced each morning.

b. Skipping breakfast causes your heart to pump less blood thoughout the body, causing fatgiue, headaches, and drowsiness

c. Studies show that breakfast-eaters burn more calories during cardio exercise.

d. When you skip breakfast, your metabloism, blood sugar, and energy levles drop. This often lead to overeating later in the day.

5. How is Body Mass Index calculated and what is it used for?

a. BMI is calculated by multiplying wieght (Kg) by height (m) and dividing by 220. It is used to assess ideal body weight.

b. BMI is calcluated by multiplying body fat percentage by waist circumference it is used to asses overweight and obesity.

c. BMI is calculated by dividing height by weight and multiplying by 100 it is used to diagnose obesity.

d. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in Kg by height in meters squared it is used to assess overweight and obesity.

6. What are the exercise recommendations for weight loss set out by the government?

a. 60-90 of moderate-intensity exercise daily

b. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise mose days of the week

c. 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 3-5 days a week

d. 20 minutes of moderate-intesity exercise at least 3 days a week

7. Experts recommend you performe moderate-intensity activity. The best example of that is:

a. Washing the dishes by hand

b. watering plants

c. Running at 6.5 mph

d. Brisk walking, cutting the grass (with a push-mower), swimming, cycling of flat terrain.

Answers:
1B,2 A, 3A, 4D,5D, 6A, 7D

Exercise of the Week: Moutain Climbers with Stablilty Ball (5/31)

The Benefit:
This is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to tighten your core.

How to do it:
Start in a push-up position with your arms completely straight, but place your hand on a stability ball instead of the floor. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Tighten your core and hold it that way for the duration of the exercise. Lift one foot off the floor and slowly rise your knee as close to your chest as you can without changing your lower-back posture. Then repeat with your other leg. Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds.

Modification:
Place your hands on the floor or a bench.

Mythbusters: Do crunches really get rid of belly fat? (5/30)

Do Crunches Really Get Rid of Belly Fat?
We would all love are lives a little more if losing fat was as easy as targeting that specific area of our bodies, sadly you cannot. It is not possible to decide where the fat burns off. Many individuals on a daily basis work there abs till they cannot take it any longer, but still find themselves with a layer of fat overlaying those muscles. This is considered "spot reduction" which is in fact a myth. Where fat collects in your body has very little to do with what regions you are exercising. Instead of only focusing on certain areas it is important to include aerobic/cardiovascular exercises with strength training and the right nutritional intake. This will help to burn off fat, reducing overall body fat, while also helping build lean muscle.

Performing crunches is equivalent to walking at a pace of 4mph, according to the Harvard Medical School. Walking at 4mph is a relatively leisurely pace. Plus you are more likely to reach 30 minutes walking than doing crunches. Other activities that meet or exceed this level of calories burned include kayaking, softball, hiking, skateboarding, water skiing, ice skating, tennis, racquetball and fencing, to name only a few. Your time may be better spent with aerobic/cardiovascular exercise as well as resistance which will target more muscles and help get your heart rate up, and get those results you are looking for.